diverdriver

Professionalism; Facility; Weather Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Like Hooknswoops sig line says: I wonder how many incidents have been avoided because of DZ.com? Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Nacmac, If you happen to find the DVD "The Blue Collar Comedy Tour" over on that side of the pond rent it. It has Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, and a couple other guys that are just hysterical. Not sure if the humor will translate over there but it's damn funny.

Absolutely not! If they don't state up front that you will be charged for training in THEIR plane to work FOR THEM they can't charge you in the end. And pay for training is BS in my opinion. I'm a professional. You want to hire me then you incur the cost to train me to standards. I don't have to subsidize your cost of operation. It's YOUR cost of operation to run a business. I encourage all jump pilots to NEVER pay for training. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Chicken. Egg. Egg. Chicken.

Was this in relation to having to drink Miller? No, it's the fact she was on the south side of Chicago.

Damn it Zenister. What you go and do that for? (((((vibe))))) dude.

Jack, I don't send out vibes much but I'm sending big vibes your way man. It's the right thing to do. Dang it man, you're not supposed to make a young guy like me cry. Ok?

Those of you flying in Cessna 182s and 206s that don't even have seatbelts installed because "it's so crammed you can't move" have GOT to get your head out of the sand. This theory is JUST as bad as the 45 degree rule for obtaining exit seperation. It is NOT based on physics. If your jump plane is not equipped or other jumpers refuse to use seatbelts in your jump plane DO NOT GET ON THAT PLANE! This is not a rant but a plee for you all to listen. Look at these accident reports from a long time ago. We MUST learn from the past! You will use your buddies at the front of the plane as airbags to save your life if you are not wearing seatbelts. 16 Fatal in 1992: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001211X14468&key=1 12 Fatal in 1992: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001211X15678&key=1 Improper use of a seatbelt in a 182 that ejected a jumper during a crash this year: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20040226X00242&key=1 Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Wally! You gained weight? I can't imagine you not being a 6'4" bean poll.

Dude... that's so not right. Shoot your TV man. You'll feel better. I gaurantee it.

Dave, I have to disagree that blame lies more on other places than ATC. Skydiving is the ONLY VFR activity required to contact ATC to do what it does. So, in my opinion the controllers are bound by FAR to provide seperation for jump planes and other traffic since we are required to talk to them. Even on an IFR flight plan if I'm in VMC I'm required to see and avoid. So, that is the basis for all flying. Now, if a controller intentionally does not tell a jump plane that traffic is transiting (as I believe was in this example of the jumper hitting the plane) the DZ then I say he is totally negligent and apparently the jury thought so too. But, I wasn't in the court room and didn't read the transcript. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

They are on the memorial jump video just posted on the SDC website. You can also link to it from www.freakbrother.com on the "Pictures" page. Dude...someone hijacked freakbrother.com. It points to something very different now. It says it's to a head shop in Amsterdam. edit: DOH! Nevermind. Your link was bad because you forgot the dash "-" between Freak and Brother in your earlier post. Boy that gave me a start! Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Do we quit skydiving when a friend goes in? Hmmmmmmm...... And it did stop them for quit awhile. I thought they were done since their last SP album was in 1995/6 as a tribute to Dwayne. edit: oh yah and.....

So, I thought the band was done as far as anything new but I was at Best Buy the other day and just on a whim I looked to see what CDs they had from my favorite industrial band. Low n behold they had a NEW one copyright 2004! Woooowhoooo!! And it kicks ASS! If you are a Puppy fan you have got to go get this one. The Greater Wrong of the Right.

You're a good man Jack. Thanks for doing this again. See yah there!

Can you imagine the trouble you'd have if you hadn't dotted all the "I's" and crossed all the "T's"? Yipes. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Aircraft. Is there anything else?

Yep. He said he was going to fill one out online. So, he was one step ahead of me on that one. Really, I'm not here to bash this pilot or the operation (yet). This is a general broadcast with a real story to enlighten the jump pilots and future jump pilots that read here to a very dangerous attitude towards flying skydivers. Skydivers should watch for cavalier attitudes with jump pilots and DZOs when it comes to stuff like this and choose their DZ wisely. The problem here was that it was a tandem and the first time tandem has no opportunity to really educate themselves about DZ ops. They think that if someone advertises in the local yellow pages that means the FAA is watching over them. Sadly, that's not really the case. Self-policing. It really requires US to stand up and say "no more". Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Oh give me a break. You run a DZ. You fly in the same airspace day after day. You're gonna tell me this pilot is never going to be aware of a STANDARD holding pattern directly over his airport? I don't buy it. And then I'm told by these controllers that 5 weeks the SAME pilot made the SAME screwed up flight into the SAME holding pattern and they had the SAME phone call made directly to him because he set off another planes TCAS. This is not some poor schmuck. He's a hazard and his judgement is totally flawed. Most insurance companies that insure jump planes require a Commercial/Instrument ticket with 500 hours total time and 25 in type to fly a 182. But then again, who knows if this outfit flys with insurance. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Which is my original point. This whole discussion about other people wandering through is silly. It has nothing to do with my post about JUMP PILOTS ignoring FAR 105 and ENDANGERING the lives of me and passengers along with the other aircraft in the pattern. By FAR he has to have a commercial license and be able to read, write, and understand the english language. Which means he should be able to read the FARs pertaining to flying skydivers. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Links are working again. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

All the time. But then, I might not get their attention. I hope the website and a focussed way of training will educate these pilots. It's not their fault they are low time. It's our fault for not making sure they have proper training and supervision. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

To sum up some post responses together. The weather was VMC where we were at the hold fix: HYPER Intersection. It is a PUBLISHED holding pattern on the Victor Airway. This DZ chose to run operations at an airport right under it. No one owns the airspace and we all have to deal with what we have. We were put in a holding pattern at 9,000 feet and we had another airliner below us at 8,000 MSL. This pilot told me on the phone later that he heard NY Center talking but they obviously could not hear him so he "idented" so they could know he was responding. (Identing is a button on the transponder that makes your target "flash" on the radar screen.) The problem is he was IDing to transmission that were NOT directed at him. However, several times ATC transmitted in the blind that if it was the jump plane (since he was orbiting a known DZ) that he should not be that high as he was in the middle of a holding pattern. Since there was no response and the 182 continued to circle in the middle the controller had no choice but to continue issuing us traffic advisories on his position. Things were hectic but ok with me right up until the time he released jumpers less than a mile off my wing on a converging flight path and then descended which caused our TCAS to bark out "TRAFFIC! TRAFFIC! DESCEND! DESCEND!" At that point we have to follow the direction to avoid the collision. If a VFR aircraft was just tootling through at a VFR atlitude (odd thousand plus 500 eastbound and even thousand pluss 500 west bound) we would have all missed and no one would have worried even though our TCAS systems would have called our attention to the traffic (500 feet off our altitude). In that situation it would not have given us any RAs (commands to climb or descend). It was just after he released the jumpers (with no positive radio communication) at less than a mile from me and then descended at me that our TCAS started barking at us. I don't know which operation it is. I don't want this to be a bash on one DZ as the pilot is responsible for what he does in the plane. This should be a lesson for ALL jump pilots not to mess with a holding pattern. When there are T-storms all around and no one can get into a major airport it doesn't matter if the skies are blue over you. DON'T MESS WITH A HOLDING PATTERN. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

I want to tell you of something that happened to me today: I was flying into Dulles today and there was weather all around the area. We were given a hold north east of the airport and while in the holding pattern a target appeared on our TCAS screen. TCAS is our Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System. The controller said he thought it was a jump plane that normally operated in that area. It climbed RIGHT UP THROUGH OUR HOLDING PATTERN ABOVE TWO AIRLINERS! It circled around and while I was on my inbound course to the holding waypoint we came within one mile and 500 feet horizontal on an intersecting course. As I told ATC I had the 182 in sight a tandem was launched from the plane and then our TCAS alert went off as the jump plane began a descent. Remember, we are now within one mile of each other and 500 feet vertical and decreasing. Our TCAS told us to descend. This is really not something you want to hear while in a holding pattern because we had someone holding below us! Fortunately the other plane below us was in a different part of his holding pattern so we did not have another conflict arise. FAR 105 states that you MUST have two-way radio contact with ATC 5 minutes before dropping jumpers. This plane NEVER had positive two-way radio communication with ATC as NY Center kept transmitting in the blind asking the jump plane to leave the area as he was up in the middle of a holding pattern. After the avoidance manuever ATC said they had supervisors all over it trying to get in contact with the operation. I called the center after I landed and talked with the supervisor. He gave me the pilot's name and phone number. I called and talked to the pilot. He said he had just over 600 hours total time. Folks, IT IS NOT WORTH DYING FOR 5 BUCKS A LOAD TO BUILD TIME! THINK!!!! And read and know your damn FARs. I'm used to flying in formation with other planes so this did not make me pee my pants. I saw the other plane and knew if he released his jumpers we would not hit even though we were well within "near miss" territory. I was cool with everything until the jumpers left the plane. That's when we had what's called "loss of seperation" and the jumpers passed on level with my JET at less than a mile. Then the TCAS alert giving me a "Resolution Advisory" which mandates that we manuever to comply to avoid a collision. You low time guys have got to stand up to DZOs or jumpers on board who egg you on to push the limits of safety. It's your career, it's your certifcates, but most of all it's YOUR LIFE that's in danger with this kind of bull shit. Heed my words. Get some stones and stand up against this BS. Quit your job if you have to. If ops like these can't find pilots anymore than they might get the hint that they can't push like this. As we fly by NY Center again later this evening they asked if we were the same flight that had the "deal" earlier and we said yes. They informed me that 5 weeks prior to this the same thing happened. You think I was steemed before when I talked to this pilot on the phone? Now I'm steemed 10 times worse that this is the second time in 5 weeks this has happened. This is a total disregard for safety to fly up through a holding pattern to drop one f'n tandem. Oh and the whole time we were in the holding pattern dodging this yo-yo we were facing a fuel issue as to how long we could stay in the hold before diverting. You really make me work for my pay when you pull stuff like this. [/rant] Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125